


In His Arms

by olivemartini



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Hurt, Nightmares, Romance, layden
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 06:26:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4554228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olivemartini/pseuds/olivemartini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hayden hadn't intended for Liam to know that she was having nightmares.  She didn't want anyone to know, actually, especially him. She wasn't the type of girl to ask for help, and she'd had enough of putting other people in danger so she could play damsel in distress.  She thought she could hide it, with excuses of being stressed and working late, which everyone seemed buy.  At least they did, until Malia cornered her in the middle of the library, demanding to know why she smelled like Stiles.</p><p>Or</p><p>The one where Hayden has nightmares and Liam's there to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In His Arms

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first teen wolf fic. I actually don't know what this is or what the point of it was supposed to be, but I got super excited over Layden becoming cannon and had to write something for them.

Hayden hadn't intended for Liam to know that she was having nightmares.  She didn't want anyone to know, actually, especially him. She wasn't the type of girl to ask for help, and she'd had enough of putting other people in danger so she could play damsel in distress.  She thought she could hide it, with excuses of being stressed and working late, which everyone seemed buy.  At least they did, until Malia cornered her in the middle of the library, demanding to know why she smelled like Stiles.

It had been an awkward conversation, where they had to explain to her about scents and pheromones and how they could sometimes tell what emotions each other were experiencing.  Hayden had stuttered out a response, but Malia had just pressed closer, causing everyone else to take a deep sniff as well.  "You smell like anxiety.  And,"  Scott sniffed again, like he was chasing down something he couldn't quite put his finger on.  "Fear, maybe.  When was the last time you slept?"

"Last night."  

Hayden had tried to lie, had planned on just brushing off the concerns with excuses, until she saw the look in their eyes.  It was so protective and caring, and being cared about by these people felt a little like _home_ in a safe kind of way she never knew she could feel, and she couldn't stop herself from talking once she started.  The words bubbled out of her, overflowing, rushing over each other in her need to explain, to finally _tell_ someone.  It felt good to get off her chest, to see the understanding in their eyes and know that they had been through the exact same thing. 

At least, until she was left alone with Liam. 

"Why didn't you tell me?"  He looked a little hurt.  "Don't you trust me?"

"I do.  I just didn't want you to worry about me more than you already are."  Hayden didn't want to explain.  She didn't want to say how scared she was of looking weak in front of these people who are basically superheroes.  She didn't want to explain how she wanted to feel like she could handle _something_ , no matter how small, no matter how real these nightmares were to her.  She didn't want to tell him how much she loved being with him, how normal he makes her feel, and she didn't want to remind him that they were basically only together because dread doctors performed experiments on her to transform her into some supernatural monster.  She didn't want to tell him how she didn't think making her his girlfriend should bring along so many horrible responsibilities.  "And what were you going to do about them?"

"I would have helped, somehow."  He was faltering, the anger disappearing and transforming into this insecure look. She was struck by the thought that Liam didn't know how good of a person he's become, how much he's helped her these two weeks.  Maybe if she had told him, he wouldn't be looking so lost.  "I can help."

* * *

His idea of "helping" became very clear two days later when she woke up screaming, locked in the nightmare where she was still with the dread doctors and Theo never came to rescue her.  Liam was never there in the nightmares, because he was the only thing that had gotten her through before.  Whenever things got too scary, she could look at him, and it'd be better.  It wasn't much, but for some reason, it was comforting to see a familiar face.  But here Hayden was alone, and had no idea what was going on, and no one was coming to her rescue.

She wasn't entirely awake when she felt arms around her, but she recognized the scent.  It was _Liam,_ who was coming to save her after all.  Somewhere in the back of her mind Hayden knew she should be incredibly angry that he had just walked into her room uninvited, but it was covered up by the overwhelming sense of relief she was feeling. 

"Hayden.  Hayden, calm down."  He was leading her to the bed, and she sank down into the mess of blankets and pillows without resisting, clinging to him like he was the only thing keeping her from drowning.  "It's okay.  It was just a dream."

Hayden didn't question how he seemed to know what was wrong.  She didn't question the fact that they were closer together than they had been since that night where they almost died, or the way he was wiping away her tears while looking seconds away from crying himself.  She didn't ask herself why it felt so _normal_ to do this with him, like he had always been there to hold her when she cried, like they always lie in bed with their limbs tangled together.  All she could think about was how real it had felt, with the masked men leaning over her, metal tools digging into her, the fear as paralyzing as the pain.  She relived it every night.  "You weren't there to save me this time.  I was all alone."

"We got out, okay?  We got out."  He sounded a little desperate, a little broken, and more than a little scared.  "We got out, and Scott's going to make sure they stay away from all of us."

"And if he can't?" 

The determination sort of twisted his face into someone unrecognizable, someone older, who had lived through horrible things most people could only imagine.  Did she look like that to him?  "If he can't, then I will."

* * *

When they woke up, Hayden almost couldn't believe her eyes.  She was in her bed, and had slept straight through the night and well into the afternoon.  She was wrapped up in Liam's arms, and he was holding onto her tight, like she was going to run away.  There was something beautiful waking up next up to a boy like him.

"Liam."  She nudged him, shaking him just a little, watching him wake up.  He makes a face when he wakes up, with a scrunched nose and squinted eyes.  He didn't really wake up, just pulled her back down to his chest, groaning when the sun hit his eyes. 

"Go back to bed."  He groaned and swatted at her, but it was good natured.  "It's the crack of dawn."

"It's two in the afternoon."  She slid out of bed, pulling a sweatshirt over her head (Liam's sweatshirt) and sat down on the chair.  "And you need to explain what you were doing last night."

He raised an eyebrow, but he did have the decency to blush.  "I told you I would help."

"I don't need help, Liam."  She had to make him understand this.  "I know you want to help.  And that's great.  But I can take care of myself."

"I know you can."  He looked shy then, vulnerable, and Hayden almost wanted to crawl back under the covers and admit that she needed help.  "But I have nightmares, too.  And they're about losing you.  It's easier for me, to know you're safe, when I wake up with you in my arms." 

Hayden could only stare at him for a second, just long enough to realize he was serious before launching herself at him, knocking him back down into the pillows.  "Liam Dunbar, you might be the most amazing person I've ever met."  She kissed him, trying to make it a thank you and apology wrapped into one.  She wanted to tell him that she could feel herself falling in love with him, that she wouldn't know what to do with herself if he wasn't there beside her, that she can't believe they lost so much time just because she was mad about some stupid broken nose from the sixth grade.  "Have I ever told you that?"

The smile on his face said that he didn't, but he knew anyways. 

(And if they would sneak into each other's rooms every night just to fall asleep in each other's arms, no one needs to know.)


End file.
